The 6'11" Iranian bodyguard of Jennifer Lopez and Nicholas Cage?
It is hard to ignore the 6'11" (2 m 10 cm) tall Ahmad Irandoost. He is 40 years old and originally from the southern Iranian city of Abadan. He says he was a boxing champion in Iran some 21 years ago before he was offered a job as a bodyguard of one of Dubai's Sheikhs (rulers). In United Arab Emirates, while being a bodyguard for some Bollywood actors, he landed a role in an Indian movie with Jacky Sharaf.
The bodyguard company soon found him connections in Hollywood, where he worked for the next 13 years as personal protector of celebrities. He claims he has protected Jennifer Lopez, Nicholas Cage, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and many other celebrities. He speaks of Brian Adams (singer) as a person who never leaves his guitar out of his sight, even when taking a bathroom break! He also speaks of a female Hollywood celebrity who was impressed with Iranian men's "male machismo" and "male honor to protect females!" He speaks of a time that Nicholas Cage approached him with a question: "Are there many big Iranians like you?"
He returns to Iran after he marries an Iranian woman. He has a daughter and now acts in Iranian movies as "The Big Guy." He is best known by Iranians as the Ogre of Barareh, a lead role in a satirical TV sequel, poking fun at simple-minded and honest rural residents.
Some of Irandoost's claims are ambiguous or hard to verify, for example his mastery of five languages, or the real reasons for the travel ban against him in Dubai. His future intent is also unknown. During his interviews with Iranian sources, he once said that his return to Iran was because his "value and moral system was not compatible with the Western lifestyle," yet in another recent interview, he has has spoken of his plans to return to the U.S. in 2 years to pursue his dream.
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